How do I get burnt-on grease off an oven door?

Getting between the glass panes, and the paste that works without caustic chemicals.

Difficulty: beginner
Time: 1 hr
Read: 2 min
Safety: caution

Short answer

Most of the mess is between the glass panes, and many oven doors slide apart to reach it — check the manual. For the inside face, a bicarbonate paste left overnight lifts burnt-on grease with no scrubbing.

Oven doors defeat people because the worst of the staining is inside the door, between two sheets of glass, where no cleaner can reach from either side. Whether yours comes apart is the first thing to establish.

Safety

Caustic oven cleaners burn skin and eyes and give off strong fumes. Wear gloves and eye protection, ventilate thoroughly, and never use them on a hot oven or with any other cleaner. Only dismantle the door if the manual says you can — some doors are heavy and spring-loaded.

What you'll need

Bicarbonate of soda
White vinegar
Cloths
Plastic scraper (optional)
Screwdriver (optional)
Gloves

Step by step

Check whether the door comes apart.Many have a removable inner glass panel held by a few screws at the top, or a whole door that lifts off with a hinge catch. The manual will say. This is the difference between a proper clean and a partial one.
Make a bicarbonate paste for the glass.Bicarbonate of soda with a little water to a spreadable paste. Cover the glass thickly and leave it for several hours or overnight. It softens burnt-on grease without caustic chemicals.
Wipe off and finish with vinegar.Scrape the paste off with a plastic scraper, then wipe with white vinegar. It reacts with the residue and leaves the glass clear.
Use a plastic razor scraper for stubborn spots.Held flat against the glass, after softening. It lifts carbonised deposits that cloths cannot. Never metal on oven glass — it scratches, and scratched glass then stains faster.
Reach between the panes if the door opens.A thin cloth over a ruler or a flexible grabber, if the panel does not come fully out. This is the staining everyone assumes is permanent.
Use a caustic cleaner only if you need to.For heavy carbonisation. Gloves, eye protection, ventilation, and never in combination with anything else. Keep it off the door seal and any painted surface.
Clean the seal carefully.Warm soapy water only. Caustic cleaner perishes rubber seals, and a failed seal costs far more than the cleaning saved.
Wipe spills while the oven is still warm.Not hot — warm. It prevents the whole problem, and it takes seconds against an hour later.

Tips

A dishwasher tablet dipped in warm water and rubbed on the glass is an effective and much-repeated trick. It works, and wear gloves.
Photograph the screws and their order before dismantling a door. Reassembly is easy if you remember which way the panes face.
Self-cleaning pyrolytic ovens do not clean the door glass. That still has to be done by hand.

Questions people ask

How do I clean between the oven door glass?

Many doors have a removable inner panel held by a few screws. Check the manual — if it comes apart, the job becomes easy. If not, a thin cloth over a ruler can reach the gap.

Does the bicarbonate and vinegar method work?

Yes for typical burnt-on grease, given several hours of dwell time. Heavy carbonisation may still need a caustic cleaner.